Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a floor jack. More particularly, a quick lift floor jack that can rise from a starting position to a load position in a short amount of time.
Floor jacks are used to lift heavy objects or a load from one position to another position using hydraulic circuitry. Hydraulic fluid is moved from a fluid reservoir into an inner chamber of a cylinder rod that is connected with a load bearing surface. The load bearing surface is the surface that contacts the load to be lifted or moved by the floor jack. The hydraulic fluid is moved through various channels by the manual pumping of a pump by an operator. The fluid fills the cylinder rod and displaces it axially until the load is reached. Then the operator continues the pumping until the load is raised to the desired level. Once the desired load movement is completed, the hydraulic fluid is returned to the fluid reservoir through the channels for the next operation.
In conventional floor jacks the load bearing surface rises from a starting position at the same speed regardless of whether the jack has a load or not. The operator must wait until the load, such as a car, is lifted at the slow speed, to the desired height until he can work on it. The wait time and the pumping effort can waste time and be costly to small garage operators.
Therefore, there is a need for a floor jack that can reach the desired load quickly so as to decrease the wait time of the operator.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a hydraulic jack that can include an oil reservoir that can store a hydraulic fluid therein, an inner chamber axially that can be disposed within the oil reservoir, a piston rod axially disposed within the inner chamber, a piston rod chamber can be provided in the piston rod, a pump assembly that can have a pump piston that can reciprocate therein and a pumping chamber that can receive hydraulic fluid from the oil reservoir, wherein the pumping chamber""s volume can be between about xc2xc to xc2xe of the piston rod chamber""s volume, and a sequence valve that can be press fitted into the hydraulic channel, held in place by a plug, can include a spherical ball having a hydraulic interacting surface and regulates fluid flow from the pumping chamber to the piston rod chamber and the inner chamber. The hydraulic jack can further include hydraulic channels for fluid communication within the jack, a first inlet check valve that can allow fluid to flow in one direction between the oil reservoir and the pumping chamber, a first outlet check valve that can allow fluid to flow in one direction between the pumping chamber and the hydraulic channels, a second outlet check valve that can allow fluid to flow in one direction between the hydraulic channels and the piston rod chamber, a second inlet that can allow fluid to move from the hydraulic channels to a second chamber, a release valve that can allow fluid to return from the piston rod chamber to the oil reservoir, a sealing member that can provide a sealing relationship between the piston rod and an inner chamber wall, and a relief valve that can relieve pressure of the jack at a predetermine pressure. The fluid can act on a surface of the sealing member to move the piston rod axially. The pump piston can be moved reciprocally by a handle that can be attached thereto. The pumping chamber""s volume can be between about ⅓ to xc2xd of the piston rod chamber""s volume. The release valve can have a slot therein for fluid to travel and can be threaded into the hydraulic jack. The piston rod can have a connector that can be coupled to a load bearing surface.
In another embodiment, a method of moving a load is provided and can include pumping a pump piston with a handle, drawing fluid from an oil reservoir to a pumping chamber by a vacuum created by the pumping, moving the fluid from the pumping chamber to a piston rod chamber by additional pumping of the pump piston, extending a piston rod to contact a load with the fluid in the piston rod chamber, and extending the piston further to move the load by increasing the amount of fluid acting on the piston rod when needed by setting a sequence valve that can be pressed fitted and can have a spherical ball to open at a predetermined pressure so that fluid is supplied to an inner chamber of the piston rod to move the piston rod. The fluid may be hydraulic fluid and increasing the amount of fluid can occur when the piston rod reaches a load and requires additional fluid to move the load. The volume of the pumping chamber can be between about xc2xc to xc2xe of the volume of the piston rod chamber. Additionally, the volume of the pumping chamber can be between about ⅓ to xc2xd of the volume of the piston rod chamber.
In still another embodiment of the invention, a hydraulic floor jack can include a means for storing a hydraulic fluid, a means for moving fluid into and out of a pumping chamber, a means for channeling fluid from the pumping chamber to a piston rod chamber, a means for lifting a load, wherein the means for lifting contains the piston rod chamber, a means for increasing fluid that can act on the means for lifting when the means for lifting requires additional fluid to move a load, wherein the means for increasing fluid is pressed-fitted into the jack and has a spherical ball, and a means for returning fluid allows fluid to move from the piston rod chamber to the oil reservoir. The means for increasing fluid can be retained by a plug and the means for returning fluid can have a slot for allowing fluid to travel therein. The volume of pumping chamber can be between about xc2xc to xc2xe the volume of the piston rod chamber. Additionally, the volume pumping chamber can be between about ⅓ to xc2xd the volume of the piston rod chamber. The jack can further include a means for relief for relieving pressure in the jack at a predetermined pressure. The means for lifting a load can be connected to a load bearing surface. The floor jack can further include a means for sealing positioned between the means for lifting and an inner chamber wall so that fluid can act on the means for sealing and move the means for lifting.
In a further embodiment, a hydraulic jack can include an oil reservoir that can store a hydraulic fluid therein, an inner chamber that can be axially disposed within the oil reservoir, a piston rod that can be axially disposed within the inner chamber, a piston rod chamber can be provided in the piston rod, a pump assembly having a pump piston that can reciprocate therein and a pumping chamber that can receive hydraulic fluid from the oil reservoir, wherein the pumping chamber""s volume can between about xc2xc to xc2xe of the piston rod chamber""s volume, a sequence valve that can be press fitted into the hydraulic channel, held in place by a plug, can include a spherical ball having a hydraulic interacting surface and can regulate fluid flow from the pumping chamber to the piston rod chamber and the inner chamber, hydraulic channels for fluid communication within the jack, a first inlet check valve that can allow fluid to flow in one direction between the oil reservoir and the pumping chamber, a first outlet check valve that can allow fluid to flow in one direction between the pumping chamber and the hydraulic channels, a second outlet check valve that can allow fluid to flow in one direction between the hydraulic channels and the piston rod chamber, a second inlet that can allow fluid to move from the hydraulic channels to a second chamber, a release valve that can allow fluid to return from the piston rod chamber to the oil reservoir, a sealing member that can provide a sealing relationship between the piston rod and an inner chamber wall, and a relief valve that can relieve pressure of the jack at a predetermine pressure.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.